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Wednesday, August 6, 2008

The Anti-Rape Condom, Your Vagina And You

Is this a case of what will they think of next or what? In stumbling across the Internet I discovered a company calledRapeX. One of the things that women are taught from birth is to fear rape. In almost every situation that you can think of women are conditioned to assume the possibility of rape. Companies have made a fortune marketing safety products to women based in fear. High pitched whistles, or mace anyone?

Not only must you always be on guard against rape, you must daily find ways to combat the possibility of assault. This is the angle that self defense classes take. Empower yourself, fight off your rapist. Tell me what good a well place kick does when your attacker has a gun, or he has drugged you? But now there is no "excuse" to become a rape victim. The responsibility is once again on the shoulders of women.

If you are out on a date you can either insert the device before going out, or if during the date you are uncomfortable about your date partner, excuse yourself to the bathroom and insert the device. For the first time there is now incriminating evidence, it will no longer be your word against his!

Right, you fear that you might have accidentally accepted a date with some kind of crazed pervert but instead of leaving the situation, your response should be to stuff your vagina like it is the thanksgiving turkey and carry on blissfully with your date. That is just some of the best advice I have seen in a very long time. Why oh why did I buy the dog whistle and the stunner when all of this time I could just have shoved this thing between my legs and achieved a blissful worry free life. Who needs meditation now?

According to RapeX you should wear their anti-rape condom when, "you have to travel long distances alone, on a train, working late, going out on a date with someone you don’t know too well, going to clubs, or in any situation that you might not feel comfortable or even just not sure." So basically every time you leave the house with a vagina between your legs it should be stuffed with one of these condoms..and I thought tampons were uncomfortable. But what is a little discomfort, after all having a vagina is all about personal responsibility, and I know this because RapeX has told me so.

Simply because your body is sacred and it is your legal and moral right to be safe. Nobody can make you safe except you. You do not have to secure your home, equally you do not have to secure your body, however it is better if you do so!

Yes much better if you do so. In fact when you go to sleep at night you should have one of these products or your night side table, that way if a rapist breaks in you will be prepared. Don't call 911, lock your door, or try to leave your premises, just slip one of these little beauties into your vagina and all will be well. Take a big sigh of relief everyone.

This product attempts to market itself as an anti-rape device but in actuality it is disciplines the bodies of women, and makes us responsible for attacks perpetrated against us. If only you were prepared in every single situation the evil rapist would not have gotten you. What were you thinking leaving the house with the belief that you had the right to exist free of sexual violence...didn't you notice the vagina between your legs? The simple solution to the problem of sexual violence is to be proactive and spend the money on this latest protection device...if you don't, what happens will be blamed on you, and not the evil predator that violated you. Your vagina is not some movie that you can return to netflix when you are done with it, it is a chalice that must be guarded like the holy grail. Everything that is essential to your being is located 6 inches below your belly button and we all know the consequences should we forget that. So remember be a good girl plug it up and be safe.

I find the existence in the world of such a thing as an 'anti-rape condom' quite terrifying. And of course you are spot on in your analysis, Renee. Why is there no equivalent for all men to wear that, say, stops them getting and erection? That they would have to wear practically all the time, or at least have to hand in case they should need it, as women are expected to do with this device, just in case they find themselves raping someone?

And, the makers of this thing also need to be told that it is not necessary to be in possession of a penis to rape someone.

While I wholeheartedly agree with your points regarding the victim-blaming and fear-mongering marketing tactics; I can't help but wonder if the RapeX itself, and not just it's marketing team, really deserves such harsh criticism.

With the woefully inadequate and ignorant state of rape report, investigation, and persecution in US law (and elsewhere as well) it seem as though anything that provides deterrent, proof of perpetrator accountability,

It doesn't seem to be mentioned in the article, but each RapeX is tagged with a unique serial number, and must be surgically removed. Thus, by seeking medical attention to remove it, the perpetrator must identify themselves and provide traceable proof-positive evidence. With some thousands of untested rape kits some of whose cases have already been closed, frequent denial of access to rape kits for victims, and the disrespectful treatment of rape victims throughout the legal system, it seems as though anything that improves upon such and allows (but must not *require*) a woman to take rape prevention and persecution into her own hands should be applauded.

There are so many things wrong with this, I don't even know where to begin...

According to their assessment, these basically need to stay on all the time. I don't know about you, but I don't think I'd much like having a foreign object up my vagina all day, every day.

Also, do they not realize that it's possible to be raped even after you've already started having sex?! I can absolutely see that one working, can't you?! Right after she says "no, please, I want to stop" and he keeps going she'll say "well, let me at least put my rape condom on so I can collect the evidence." Nope, no problems with that scenario at all. Rape condom 100% effective.

Spot on. I might also add that while one of these might prevent a rapist from forcing his dick inside your vagina, it doesn't prevent him from committing anal rape. It doesn't prevent him saying, "well fine, I can't stick my dick in you, but I sure as hell can fondle you/torture you/kill you". Criminy.

This is classic!! Don't you just love how they treat women like fools in the ad. Like you said, don't leave the awful date, don't call for help, just use one of "their" products. Here you go poor stupid women to get raped in the first place, just wear these 24/7 and you'll be fine, you'll still be raped, but at least you'll have the sperm for keeps!

"Fascinating. If a woman is constantly walking around assuming she will be raped, she is either paranoid or lives in one helluva rough neighborhood."

Victim blaming here. No, I wouldn't say she's paranoid at all because we live in a world where women aren't considered human and we are taken advantage of by people who think they have a right to our bodies.

I've discussed the RapeX thing before and like Renee states it once again places responsibility on the woman to not get raped and places none on the men who do the raping.

So it's women's responsibility to prevent vaginas from being used as rape receptacles?

My womanhood's only been half my life, and I'm sure I don't have all the "How to prevent men from using my body as a rape receptacle" rules down yet. I know these:

* I'm supposed to explicitly signal my lack of interest in order for men to understand that I'm not giving consent

* I'm supposed to wear something like the advertised gimmick at all times just in case a man decides that I'm giving consent when I'm not, which is all the time

* I'm supposed to wear properly unsexy clothes, even though men who are going to attempt rape won't care about that

* Men just can't control themselves sometimes, they get out of control

* Plus, boys will be boys

* Plus, all men are rapists

What else am I missing? I can't leave the house if I don't finish armoring myself against rapists - what if the defense tries to say my sweatshirt was too tight or my shade of lipstick was leading the man on? I knew that I had to be aware of my physical safety, but no one told me I was responsible for preventing all rape that may be directed at my person.

This was developed in South-Africa, which is a VERY rough neighbourhood. Even though it's a bit ridiculous to expect women to protect themselves like this, it's a response to the high level of sexual violence in the country. Stranger rape is quite prevalent, RAPE is prevalent, and it is an epidemic.

It's not a fantastic idea, and would probably serve to get you killed if you do wear it. Murder is not uncommon either.

wow that is a really weird product. and yeah if a woman is out with a pervert she should just leave not goto a bathroom and insert that thing. that being said if this makes a woman feel safer and better im for her having it. still kinda creepy if you ask me.

Wow, cheers to that post! You said everything I would want to be said about that product. I had no idea something like this ever existed...And part of me wants to be glad that people are trying to develop ways to safe guard people against attacks, but of course, this product does not really do anything to safe guard women against attacks because you have to wear it and be in an attack for it to do anything, and I think by that point, it is most certainly too late...

You think that courts are hard on rape victims NOW? Using this would make that worse, not provide needed evidence.

Suddenly it's not just "Let me get this straight, you were wearing a short dress? You were drinking?"

But also, "Let me get this straight, you didn't trust the creep, you thought he might rape you, you didn't want to be raped, and instead of calling a cab you went into the bathroom and prepped your vagina for the 'rape' ?"

the thing that gets me about this, having been attacked and raped by strangers just over a year ago myself, is that they totally miss the true trauma of rape, which isn't about whether or not you have any evidence to turn in. sure, that's really important to some women, but this device in NO WAY protects a woman from being attacked and raped. it might stop the process short when it attaches itself to the rapist's penis, but that doesn't do much to diminish the trauma of being attacked and raped. it doesn't do anything to make a woman feel safer in her neighborhood.

I don't understand how the maker of this expects it to work. I mean, the likely scenario is this.(Assuming they are in South Africa)Woman inserts this huge device.Woman leaves the house to go to village market.Man attacks and begins to rape woman. Upon penetration, attacker is embedded with barbs. Attacker is in lots of pain. Attackers endorphines kick in, and attacker kills woman. Attacker removes device from woman and goes to hospital and states it was his wife (remember ladies, in many places a married woman has no right to refuse her spouse).Woman is dead, and rapist learns about new device. Rapist tells all his friends and they now know to check with finger if device is present.

Intense Debate Comments

About Me

I am the mother of two darling little boys that fill my life with hope. They have inspired me to help raise awareness of the issues that plague this little blue planet.
If you are looking for a blog that is all about how wonderful and rosy this world is, turn right because this space will not be for you. I am a committed humanist. I believe in the value of people over commodities. I believe in the human right to food, clothing, shelter, and education. I am pacifist, anti-racist, WOC. My truth may not be your truth, but I intend to speak it nonetheless.
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